Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphins in Sarawak

The wet season is now pretty much over and the dolphin watching season has begun. Whilst the most commonly sighted species found near Kuching is the Irrawaddy dolphin there seem to be more and more sightings of finless porpoises. I guess this has something to do with the fact there are more boats going out dolphin watching and more people are aware that dolphins are found near Kuching.

Another species that is occasionally spotted in the waters near Kuching is the Indo-pacific humpback dolphin. I haven’t had much luck with this species over the years and have only spotted them a couple of times near Santubong but they were way off in the distance. Others have had better luck. James, who spends most of his time exploring caves in Bau and Serian and running his Kuching Caving tour outfit, took the above photo last year. And James’ friend George has posted some excellent photos of Indo-pacific humpback dolphins taken at both Bako and Santubong on his website.

Sarawak’s Draft Marine Mammal Watching Guidelines

Sarawak now has a draft set of guidelines for marine mammal watching. As I’ve argued before such guidelines are long overdue. The need to develop dolphin watching guidelines for Sarawak was first brought to the attention of the Ministry of Tourism and Sarawak Forest Department in 2002 when the Sarawak Tourist Association raised the matter. The idea then was to develop guidelines through a consultative process involving the tourism industry via workshops and practical training for boatmen. At that time the Forest Department was not even aware that tour operators and boat owners were conducting dolphin watching tours even though these tours had been running for years. Nothing came of the proposal. Anyway, fast forward 5 years and it seems that the relevant wildlife agency is now taking an interest in Sarawak’s nascent dolphin watching industry which should be a good thing.

Last month members of the tourism industry and government sector were invited to a presentation by the Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC), the agency currently responsible for wildlife management in the state. SFC gave a presentation on the wider actitives of SFC and then the marine mammal watching guidelines. This was the first time the tourism industry were aware of the guidelines as tourism operators were not consulted in the process of developing the draft guidelines. A number of operators and boat owners that offer dolphin watching tours were not at the meeting and many of those at the meeting do not even offer dolphin watching tours in Sarawak. This week I did a quick check amongst existing operators and many are not aware that there is now a draft set of dolphin watching guidelines.

So how useful are the guidelines and how relevant are they to Sarawak? Well first off the guidelines have not been specifically tailored to suit Sarawak’s dolphin watching industry which is currently focused on the Irrawaddy dolphin. In fact Sarawak’s guidelines are copied almost word-for-word from the Australian National Guidelines for Whale and Dolphin Watching. Yes, someone at SFC has done a ‘cut and paste’ job. On the printed copy of the Sarawak guidelines, there is no acknowledgement of the fact the guidelines were lifted from the Australian regulations.

Using the Australian guidelines as a model for Sarawak is not a bad thing. However, I think greater effort should have been made to adapt the Australian guidelines to the local Sarawak setting. In addition the local tourism industry should have been consulted more and given the chance to provide some meaningful input. According to people that were at last month’s presentation, some wildlife officials were not very well briefed on the local dolphin watching industry.

Currently all dolphin watching tours in Sarawak take place in rivers and estuaries not in the open ocean. However, the guidelines allocate just two sentences to confined waterways.

In confined or crowded waterways such as bays, estuaries, channels and rivers it may not be possible for vessels to maintain approach distances or appropriate number of boat within the caution zone. In these instances take all necessary caution to avoid whales and dolphins.

So just 44 words of the 17 page document are directly relevant to Sarawak’s existing dolphin watching industry. In this respect, the guidelines essentially boil down to last sentence “in these instances take all necessary caution to avoid whales and dolphins”. Which basically amounts to “its up to you lah”!

Many aspects of the guidelines are more relevant to Australia than Sarawak. This is hardly surprisingly since the guidelines were copied from Australia. For example there is a section on land based marine mammal watching that states “cliffs and headlands can provide excellent advantage points for viewing many different whale and dolphins” Does anyone out there know of any cliffs or headlands on Sarawak’s low lying coastline? Last time I looked most of Sarawak’s coast was as flat as pancake. There may be the odd cliff here and there but most of these overlook shallow waters. You’d have to camp out on a cliff for a few years before you catch sight of a whale or dolphin.

There is also a whole bunch of stuff in the guidelines on feeding and dolphin swimming programmes, again lifted directly form the Australian guidelines. These sections state that feeding and dolphin swim programmes are not allowed unless authorised by SFC. I think it would have been better to state that feeding and swim programmes are banned, period. Australia has a pretty good licensing and monitoring system for feeding and swim programmes. In contrast there is limited enforcement and monitoring of conservation and wildlife regulations in Sarawak. In view of the limited resources allocated to monitoring and enforcement I think no authorisation should be given for feeding and swim programmes.

With regards to dolphin swim programmes, there is also a safety concern in Sarawak. In many places swimming with dolphin programmes are not viable in Sarawak. The accessible dolphin populations are found in rivers and estuaries where crocodiles are also commonly found. Not sure too many tourists would fancy swimming with dolphins with a bunch of crocs lurking nearby?

All in all the draft guidelines are a bit disappointing. Not much work has gone into them, they have just been copied from elsewhere. In their current form the guidelines are not going to have much impact. Hopefully there will be more discussion, debate and consultation so that the existing draft can be adapted to local conditions.

Job Vacancy for Researchers?

Just kidding, no jobs here I’m afraid. Apologises to any job seekers who googled there way here. Back button time for you and good luck with you endeavours. This meandering post is about the need for research on Sarawak’s Irrawaddy dolphins.

A number of studies of Irrawaddy dolphins have been conducted in various countries in Southeast Asia and population estimates have been made for these sites. Here are a few stats to ponder.

Indonesia, Mahakam River, population estimated at 70 individuals based on a 2005 survey. For more info see YK-RASI

Ayeyarwady River, Myanmar, population estimated at 59 individuals based on a 2003 surevy. For more info see IUCN

Malampaya Sound, Palawan, Philippines, population estimated at 77 individuals based on a 2001. For more info see IUCN

Songkhla Lake, Thailand, population now extremely low, fewer than 50. For more info see IUCN

Mekong River, Cambodia, best estimate is 69 based on 2003 survey. For more info see IUCN

Yeah, I know, the above numbers make for pretty depressing reading. At each of the sites surveyed the population is between 50-80 individuals. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work out that Southeast Asia’s Irrawaddy dolphins need all the help they can get. The first step in that process is to understand what is going on. To determine conservation priorities you need to conduct scientific research, estimate the population, examine threats, etc. This is already happening elsewhere in Southeast Asia with research being conducted in Cambodia, Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar and the Philippines. Another project to is about to begin in Indonesia at Sembilang National Park.

So, how about Sarawak? What is the dolphin population in the Kuching area? Sorry folks, at present no one has a clue. Whilst one-off dolphin surveys have been conducted in Sarawak, these just show that there are dolphins out there. Whilst this is a welcome start, follow-up work is needed. Ideally a long term study, or for starters a preliminary study to estimate the dolphin population around Kuching and perhaps some outreach work with fishing communities so that a bycatch monitoring system can be set up in key villages.

So far the local scientific community, the wildlife agency and NGOs have largely ignored Sarawak’s Irrawaddy dolphins. In many ways this is not surprising; after all there are enough issues to look at on land in Sarawak, let alone looking out to sea.

But looking out to sea can be rewarding, especially when there are dolphins on your doorstep.

The fact that relatively large numbers (25+) of Irrawaddy dolphins have been sighted in the Santubong area and groups are regularly sighted at Buntal, Muara Tebas and other rivers and estuaries close to Kuching, suggests that there could be a significant population near Kuching. I am no marine mammal expert - I just like dolphin watching - so I can not say how significant these sightings are.

But when I look at the population stats from elsewhere in the region, 59 in the Ayeyarwady, 77 in the Malampaya Sound, 70 in the Mahakam, etc., it gets me thinking. It makes me think how lucky I am to be able to see four or five groups of Irrawaddy dolphins in one day. It makes me wonder how many dolphins there are near Kuching. It makes me think that maybe, just maybe, the population around Kuching could be pretty significant. It also makes me think - where are the folks with binoculars and clipboards. It sure would be nice to see some researchers out in the bay observing the dolphins instead of just fishermen, tourists and the odd bridled tern.

In many ways the tourism industry has put Sarawak’s Irrawaddy dolphins in the public eye. More and more people are aware that dolphins are found near Kuching and this increased awareness has to be a good thing. What is required now is an increase in scientific knowledge.

In 2000 the Sarawak Forest Department conducted a marine mammal survey along the coast of Sarawak in collaboration with the Borneo Marine Research Institute at the University Malaysia Sabah. The results of the 2000 survey were published in ‘Hornbill’, a Forest Department publication. This is what the researchers recommended.

“Irrawaddy dolphins and finless porpoises in coastal waters, estuaries and rivers of Sarawak should be given serious attention. The creation of reserves for the protection and management of dolphins is strongly encouraged…The impact of incidental catches of dolphins should be investigated…Further studies on the populations, behaviour and ecology of inshore cetaceans should be conducted.”

Some sound recommendations. Unfortunately, six years on, no in-depth ‘further studies’ have been conducted. No serious attention has been given. The impact of bycatch has not been investigated and no dolphin reserves have been set up.

If the Irrawaddy dolphin population around Kuching is significant, and without the data, that is a big if, then Sarawak has an opportunity to play an important role in the conservation of Irrawaddy dolphins in Southeast Asia. But for this to happen research needs to be conducted and more attention needs to be given to the dolphins on the doorstep of Kuching.

MP calls for probe into dredging

The Member of Parliament for Santubong, Datuk Wan Junaidi Tunaku Jaafar, has called for the relevant agencies to investigate the dredging operations at Santubong. This was front page news in Sunday’s edition of the Eastern Times under the headline “Probe illegal sand dredging call”.

The MP was quoted in the local daily as saying “I am concerned about such illegal activities because they affect the livelihood of the people, especially the fishermen in the area”. For some time now the local fishermen have been complaining about the sand barges and reduced fish catch. A number of press reports have highlighted the fishermen’s concerns.

According to the Eastern Times report, the villagers say the barges move in between 10 and 11 pm and work through the night. On a number of occasions whilst dolphin watching at Santubong I’ve seen the barges during the day. The photo in the previous post ‘Sand dredgers at Santubong’ was taken around 6.30 pm. On that day two barges were dredging for sand when we arrived in the area just after lunch.

I went out dolphin watching again on Sunday afternoon and there was one dredging barge in the Santubong estuary. It was not dredging for sand when we saw it. It was anchored with a second tug boat nearby. There was also a ‘pod’ of four dredging barges in the Santubong River itself, moored just past the junction where the Buntal River joins the Santubong River. Looks like the brazen barges could be breeding! Well maybe not, but it does appear that Santubong’s barge population is increasing with the pod size now ranging from 1-4 individuals. If the barge population continues to increase there could be more sand dredging barges than dolphins at Santubong!

Now that somewhat flippant last remark is not as stupid as it sounds. Both the fishermen and the dolphins fish in the same waters off Santubong. These two groups of Santubong residents have lived side by side for generations with enough fish for both the villagers and the dolphins. The arrival of the sand dredgers has impacted the livelihood of the fisher folk, that we do know. But we do not know what impact the dredging operations are having on the dolphins.

So it is good to hear that the Santubong MP has called for a probe into the dredging and is highlighting the concerns of his constituents. By helping the fishermen Datuk Wan Junaidi is helping the dolphins of Santubong.

False Images: Cambodia is not Sarawak

Yesterday, The Eastern Times a local newspaper printed a front cover story on Sarawak’s Irrawaddy dolphins accompanied by a photo of an Irrawaddy taken in the Mekong River. The photo shows an Irrawaddy dolphin kneeling on a sand bar or rock. The photo (see here) was taken by Pete Davidson, although the Eastern Times did not provide a credit or copyright reference or an accurate photo caption. As such the reader is led to believe that the photo was taken in Sarawak which is simply not true.

The photo is a spectacular image that shows some unusual behaviour. But this behaviour is not something that you will ever see in Sarawak. Recently, there has been a lot of hype surrounding the Irrawaddy dolphins of Sarawak and dolphin watching tours. Whilst press coverage increases awareness it is no help at all if articles are poorly researched and images mis-represent reality. Earlier in the week The Star ran a poorly penned piece on Sarawak’s Irrawaddy dolphins with a misleading headline and now the Eastern Times has chipped in by showing a picture of a dolphin taken in Cambodia to accompany an article on dolphins in Sarawak.

I’ve been told that The Eastern Times article has resulted in inquiries asking tour operators to take them to see Irrawaddy dolphins sitting on sandbars like in the picture! If you are considering going on a local dolphin watching tour, bare in mind that you are not going to seeing Irrawaddy dolphins sitting on rocks and performing circus tricks in Sarawak. If you need accurate information on what kind of behaviour you will see on a tour, speak to a tour operator that knows the dolphins and has a track record of running tours. As I’ve said before go with a responsible operator such as CPH Travel who pioneered dolphin watching tours in Sarawak. Avoid the inexperienced operators and ignore local press articles that show pictures of unusual dolphin behaviour taken in other countries.

The Sarawak Dolphin, Lagenodelphis hosei

Yes, a dolphin has been named after Sarawak. The ‘Sarawak Dolphin’ or ‘Fraser’s Dolphin’ was scientifically described in 1956 by F.C. Fraser. His description was based on a skeleton found on a beach in Lutong in 1895. The skeleton was found by Charles Hose and the specimen now resides in the British Museum of Natural History.

The Fraser’s dolphin remained a mystery to scientists until the 1970’s when the species was ‘rediscovered’. It is found in deep waters of the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic Oceans. One of the best places in Southeast Asia to see Fraser’s dolphins is Bohol in the Philippines. This is where I went to see them. They are fantastic dolphins to watch as they are very social and hang out in groups of 100-500. I’ve been to Pamilacan Island in Bohol a few times to see these beautiful creatures. They are joy to watch.

There have been no further records of the Fraser’s dolphin in Sarawak. This does not mean that they are no longer found in Sarawak, its just that no scientists have been offshore to look for them. Recent marine mammal research in Sarawak has focused on near shore waters rather than the deep offshore waters that Fraser’s dolphins prefer.

A brief history of Sarawak's dolphin watching industry

Sarawak was the first destination in Malaysia to offer commercial dolphin watching tours. These tours were launched in 1998 and as far as I am aware remain the only commercial dolphin watching tours in the country. Sarawak’s dolphin watching industry is focused on one species, the Irrawaddy dolphin. However, on rare occasions Indo-Pacific Humpback and bottlenose dolphins are seen on the tours.

CPH Travel, a Kuching-based tour operator, pioneered the development of dolphin watching tours in Sarawak. The tours were developed thanks to a chance meeting in Kuching. In 1997 Dr Thomas Jefferson, a marine mammal expert, contacted CPH Travel in order to rent a boat to look for dolphins at Santubong. At the time CPH offered marine tours and mangrove cruises in the Santubong area.

In June 1997 a 3-day survey of the waters around Santubong was conducted and groups of Irrawaddy dolphins were frequently sighted. The results of the dolphin survey were published in the December 1997 issue of the Sarawak Museum Journal.

Following the dolphin survey, Dr Jefferson suggested that CPH should develop a dolphin watching tour. After conducting further research and using the knowledge gained from the initial dolphin survey, CPH Travel launched its inaugural dolphin watching tour in 1998.

In 2001 Stuart Green and I conducted a dolphin survey in the waters around Santubong, Salak, Damai Beach, Telaga Air, Tunjung Sipang, Rambungan, Sempadi Island, Satang Island and Buntal. We rented a boat from Ehwan who had just started to offer mangrove cruises near his village of Buntal. As a former fisherman, Ehwan is a mine of information on where dolphins are found. Following our dolphin survey Ehwan also started to offer dolphin watching tours in the Buntal-Bako bay.

In 2005 approximately 1,500 people took part in dolphin watching tours in Sarawak. 90% of demand is from foreign tourists. The majority of these visited Santubong and Salak with dolphin watching pioneer CPH Travel. The rest went on tours of Buntal with Ehrwan or tours around Santubong with other operators.

Although still a small scale activity, demand for dolphin watching tours has grown over the last 2-3 years. Whilst the effects of tourism are relatively small when compared to the various threats faced by Irrawaddy dolphins, it is important to develop dolphin watching in a sustainable manner so that the animals are not disturbed. Worldwide it is recognised that the greatest concern with dolphin watching activities is in the start-up phase in new areas. Sarawak is in this start-up phase.

So far dolphin watching has been developed in a sustainable manner. The main dolphin watching operators know what they are doing and are careful when approaching the dolphins. They operate their tours in a responsible manner and use excellent ‘guides-cum-spotters’. These dolphin spotters come from the villages near to where the tours take place so community members derive some of the economic benefits from the tours. For example, CPH’s Jamadi, who hails from Buntal, has to be one of the best dolphin spotters around. He has unbelievable eyes and can spot dolphins and other wildlife that most guides will miss. It’s joy to go on a tour with someone as experienced as Jamadi as you get to see heaps of wildlife.

Other tour operators are now moving into the market (or considering doing so) and some of these operators are not very knowledgeable. At some point in the near future it will be necessary to develop dolphin watching guidelines and codes of conduct for Sarawak’s dolphin watching industry. Such guidelines are common elsewhere in the world.

More on this another day.

A Perfect Moment in Santubong:In Search of the Elusive Irrawaddy Dolphin

(This article first appeared in Vol. 59/3 2006 of the Malaysian Naturalist Magazine, published by the Malaysian Nature Society.)

I had been cruising the inshore waters for hours, scanning the sea for signs of marine life. It was a perfect day. The waters were calm, not the slightest swell on the mill pond-like surface of the South China Sea. The sun had burnt away the clouds leaving just the deep blue Borneo sky to watch over the boat and provide perfect visibility for the task at hand.

But despite the obvious perfection I had not seen what I came to see. That did not bother me. I was quite content to enjoy what is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful coastal areas in the whole of Sarawak, an area of beaches, mudflats and mangrove-lined rivers that is home to thriving fishing communities and some of Sarawak’s most interesting wildlife.

The waters offshore from Santubong were teeming with life, both human and animal, as they always are. In the hours before, with the forested slopes of Mount Santubong as a backdrop to the bay, I had watched a flotilla of fishing craft fan out across the river estuary and motor further out to sea. Tiny two-man fishing boats hugged the coastline, staying within the safe confines of the river, and small trawlers worked the seas further out. I had also observed Proboscis monkeys squabbling in the treetops of the mangrove forest, white-bellied sea eagles hovering overhead, and egrets feeding on the mudflats.

It had been a pleasant day, so pleasant I had almost forgot the reason that I was there, the same reason I am there on many occasions during the months from March to October, the same reason I spend hours in the hot sun, bobbing around in a small boat, my Ang Moh nose turning red in the sun, my appearance morphing into something that resembles the residents of the nearby mangroves, the proboscis monkey or orang belanda.

Wildlife watching consists of long bouts of boredom, and bursts of excitement that make the boredom worthwhile. After three hours on the boat I had not reached my limits of boredom - there was too much else going on for that to happen - but I was starting to get anxious and began to feel that it was not my lucky day.

And then it happened. One of those wildlife experiences that makes you want to grow long tufts of facial hair and study marine biology.

The first dorsal fin appeared twenty meters to the right of the boat, a brief five second burst of activity as the dark grey coloured Irrawaddy dolphin surfaced for air, two short characteristic rolls and it was gone, but there was just enough time to catch sight of its distinctive features – the blunt rounded head and stubby triangular dorsal fin. The Irrawaddy dolphin is unusual looking dolphin, quite distinct from other oceanic dolphins.

Off to the left, another blow for air, this time a mother and calf surfaced together, again a couple of short rolls, calf attached to the mother’s side, and they were gone. In front of the boat one individual poked his head vertically out of the water to have a look around, this spy hopping behaviour made easy by the Irrawaddy’s flexible neck.

Within a few minutes the whole group was surfacing around the boat, eight individuals in total. This was a relatively large group as Irrawaddys usually swim around in groups of 2-6 individuals, although larger groups of 15 dolphins have been reported.

The Irrawaddy is shy and elusive creature, and in no way does it live up to the clichéd image of a dolphin leaping in the air, bow-riding or other energetic displays. It is slow moving and normally only shows the rear half of its body, hiding most of its head in the water as it surfaces for air. In general, each surface consists of a short blow of air and one or two rolls before diving. Occasionally it shows its tail before a deep dive.

In short, the Irrawaddy is the pipe and slippers couch potato of the dolphin world. If cetaceans wore clothes the Irrawaddy would wear a tweed jacket with leather patches on the elbows. In most Internet dolphin watching polls the Irrawaddy doesn’t rank in the top twenty. This probably has as much to do with the fact that not many people have seen these creatures as to their relaxed behaviour.

Despite what others may think of this sedate, chilled-out creature, I can think of nothing better than spending a morning searching the waters of Santubong for Irrawaddy dolphins.

And that day was special.

The group near the boat was not the only group of Irrawaddy dolphins in the river mouth. Another group were circling a local fishing boat situated 50 metres or so away. I have seen this association with fishing boats on many occasions. Local fishermen in the Santubong area have a favourable attitude to the dolphins and are often seen throwing fish to them.

After hauling in their nets the fishermen sort out the ‘trash’, fish that can not be sold in the market. These fish are then thrown back in to the sea and the dolphins grab and easy free meal. The lone fisherman in his small wooden boat was doing exactly this and seemed to be enjoying the show as dolphins took it in turns, surfacing a couple of metres from the boat, grabbing their free lunch and waiting for more.

A third group of dolphins were feeding close to the mangroves next to the Damai Golf Course, just metres away from the unknowing golfers teeing off at the 16th hole. Three groups of Irrawaddy dolphins, perhaps a total of twenty individuals, all within sight of the boat, and all just 45 minutes from Kuching, the state capital of Sarawak.

It is not unusual to see large numbers of dolphins in and around Santubong. On occasions I have watched four or five groups, comprising up to thirty individuals, feeding in the relatively narrow confines of the Salak River.

Of the numerous trips I have made to observe Irrawaddy dolphins at Santubong this was the longest interaction I’ve had with a group of them. They had approached the boat and remained in and around the area for over an hour, surfacing regularly and indulging in periods of play and social interaction. I could not have asked for anything more. When one individual showed its fluke in preparation for a deep dive I knew it was time to slowly head back. The dolphins were moving on and so should I.

As I looked towards the sea in the direction the group was heading, I saw something I never imagined I would observe. The water near my boat opened up and the bulbous head of an Irrawaddy appeared, rapidly followed by a huge mass of flesh as the dolphin launched itself out the water, landing with an almighty crash, water spraying everywhere. A full ‘breach’ by one of the world’s most inactive dolphins, something I hadn’t seen in print, on TV or on the Internet, let alone in the wild.

The magnificent display was over in seconds but it is etched in my memory to this day. It was a close-up wildlife encounter, it was one of life’s perfect moments. But then Sarawak is that kind of place, a place that offers up more than its fair share of perfect moments.

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The Malaysian Nature Society is the oldest environmental NGO in Malaysia. It is a membership-based organisation with branches across the country. For further details, check out http://www.mns.org.my/ . In Sarawak, the Kuching branch is quite active and regularly organises activities, events and field trips to learn more about Sarawak’s natural heritage. If you are in to nature and wish to join, email mnskuching@gmail.com

Is Sarawak an Irrawaddy Dolphin Hotspot?

Irrawaddy dolphins are among the most vulnerable dolphins in the world owing to the fact that their habitat of inshore waters coincides with areas of intensive human activity. The World Conservation Union’s 'Dolphins, Whales and Porpoises: 2002-2010 Conservation Action Plan for the World’s Cetaceans' states that the identification of “hotspots” where Irrawaddy dolphins occur in relatively high density is essential for conservation.

With Irrawaddy dolphins regularly sighted in a number of river systems and estuaries in the State, Sarawak could well be one of these hotspots. Whilst further research is required to determine this, the existence of Irrawaddy populations in various locations along the coastline means that Sarawak has a chance to play an important role in the conservation of the Irrawaddy dolphin.

This will require a concerted effort from a range of stakeholders - relevant government agencies, local communities, NGOs, research institutions and the tourism industry. Whilst funding is always a problem with any conservation initiative, international funding may be available owing to serious threats faced by the Irrawaddy across its distribution range.

Currently Sarawak attracts visitors from around the world who come to enjoy its national parks and the wildlife that inhabits its forests. Hornbills, Proboscis monkeys and Orang Utans have become popular icons for Sarawak. Perhaps one day the Land of the Hornbills may also be famed for a unique dolphin that inhabits the brackish waters of its coastline.